When Shi Zhen heard from Teacher Fei that Zhao Meiyun had fallen and was seriously injured, his expression immediately changed.
In her previous life, Zhao Meiyun was injured around this time.
At that time, he had just started working and knew nothing about the outside world. After arriving in J City, he couldn't find a job and lived under a bridge for more than a month.
Later, although he got a job as a laborer on a construction site, the foreman never paid him or Shi Xinghuo.
The only question they asked was that wages would be paid all at the end of the year.
He had no money at the time, so he didn't go home. He just let his family know he was safe and that he would be back for the New Year.
Later, Zhao Meiyun fell and was injured. After much suffering, it eventually came to the point where she needed to have her leg amputated.
Shi Zhen had always thought that after he got the person out, this incident wouldn't happen again, but now Zhao Meiyun has still broken her leg...
Shi Zhen said goodbye to Teacher Fei and took Guan Baiyu straight to the hospital.
Anshan Town Hospital.
This isn't a big hospital, but for Zhao Qiujuan and Zhao Meiyun, it's already very, very big.
They had never been to such a place before, and were inevitably apprehensive.
Zhao Meiyun's face turned pale with pain, her lips trembling, but she still gripped Zhao Qiujuan's hand tightly and said, "Qiujuan, let's go, how could we come here... Just find a barefoot doctor to take a look at me..."
Getting sick and needing treatment can be a bottomless pit.
Zhao Meiyun remembered that there was a relative of the Shi family. The man's belly suddenly became very large. He had a disease called ascites. He went to the hospital for treatment, but he died in the end. He also owed an unknown amount of money. The woman in the family almost drank pesticide.
Where they live, when someone gets sick, who doesn't go to a barefoot doctor for treatment? They certainly wouldn't dare go to the county hospital.
They're not city dwellers, so they don't need to spend much money on medical treatment.
"Mom..." Zhao Qiujuan's voice trembled with tears. She was completely lost and afraid of the hospital.
But she didn't even know where the barefoot doctor was.
In fact, when she arrived at the hospital, she didn't know what to do; all she wanted to do was hug her mother and cry.
Zhao Meiyun fell down the stairs in the attic.
Ever since Shi Zhen paid Shi Ting's tuition fee the day before yesterday, Zhao Dongjuan has been unhappy, and has said countless times in private that Shi Zhen is biased.
Zhao Meiyun could say whatever she wanted to her youngest daughter, but the girl wouldn't listen. She could only try her best to persuade Zhao Dongjuan not to talk nonsense in front of Shi Zhen, Shi Dalin, or even Shi Ting.
The more she tried to persuade her, the more unhappy Zhao Dongjuan became. Of course, if she were given money, Zhao Dongjuan would be more willing to behave herself.
Today, Shi Zhen took Guan Baiyu to Changxi City to register for school. Shi Ting didn't need to go to school with Guan Baiyu, so she went to set up a stall with Shi Dalin. Only the three of them were left at home.
Zhao Dongjuan told them how much the high school tuition would cost and how much the monthly living expenses would be. She also mentioned that Guan Baiyu's schooling was probably all paid for by Shi Zhen... In short, she felt that Shi Zhen shouldn't be spending money on outsiders.
After hearing this so many times, Zhao Meiyun started to feel a little distressed about the money. Meanwhile, Zhao Qiujuan had been at odds with her sister lately, and she retorted that it was Shi Zhen's money, and whoever spent it was up to Shi Zhen, and it had nothing to do with Zhao Dongjuan.
When Zhao Dongjuan got angry, she rushed upstairs and stomped her feet on the floor.
Zhao Meiyun went up to persuade her, but to no avail; Zhao Dongjuan rushed downstairs and ran away.
This is nothing unusual; it happens all the time. It's just that when Zhao Meiyun was going downstairs, she would accidentally slip and fall on the last few steps.
She didn't fall from a high place, but for some reason, her leg started hurting terribly from that fall.
Zhao Dongjuan had disappeared... Zhao Qiujuan could only carry Zhao Meiyun out on her back, ask Teacher Fei next door, and then head to the hospital.
But when they got to the hospital, they didn't know what to do.
I've heard that hospital treatments have become increasingly expensive in recent years...
Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu arrived at this time.
As soon as Shi Zhen arrived at the hospital, he saw Zhao Qiujuan standing at the entrance, supporting Zhao Meiyun and crying. He frowned and asked, "Why don't you go in?"
"I don't know where to go..." Zhao Qiujuan's lips trembled.
Shi Zhen was already used to her incompetent appearance, so he didn't say much, picked up Zhao Meiyun, and went straight to the emergency room.
Zhao Meiyun's condition looks serious; it would be best to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Shi Zhen took Zhao Meiyun to the emergency room, and soon someone took Zhao Meiyun to have an X-ray.
Zhao Meiyun's condition is not too serious; it's just a common fracture. However, because the bone displacement is quite large, it cannot be directly repositioned by hand. She needs to have surgery, have a cast applied, and then rest for a period of time.
Upon learning this, Shi Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart remained uneasy.
Are some things... truly unavoidable?
No, it can definitely be avoided. Zhao Meiyun is receiving timely treatment now, and her condition will never deteriorate to the point where amputation is necessary.
"She has a bit of osteoporosis, so it'll probably take a long time to heal. You all need to be careful in the future, otherwise she might fracture another bone." After examining Zhao Meiyun and asking her various questions, the doctor explained Zhao Meiyun's condition.
Zhao Meiyun was born in 1945 and is 49 years old this year, four years older than Shi Dalin.
She divorced ten years ago when she was thirty-nine.
Her ex-husband's family believed she was infertile because she hadn't given birth for eight years and because she had already gone through menopause.
She had several miscarriages and her nutrition was inadequate, causing her to go through menopause much earlier than usual.
After menopause, women experience accelerated calcium loss, and Zhao Meiyun naturally became calcium deficient.
In fact, Shi Dalin is also calcium deficient. He is only forty-five years old, but he has lost many teeth and his legs often cramp at night.
Shi Zhen had previously worried that Guan Baiyu wasn't getting enough nutrition, so he bought calcium supplements for her. After Shi Dalin and Zhao Meiyun came to Anshan Town, he bought them some as well.
But Shi Dalin and Zhao Meiyun had only been eating it for a short time, and their absorption capacity was limited due to their age, so how could they possibly replenish their nutrients?
Given Zhao Meiyun's condition, she would easily fracture a bone from even a slight fall.
In her past life, after Zhao Meiyun had her leg amputated, she accidentally broke her hip bone again.
When Shi Zhen asked about the cost of the surgery, the doctor replied directly, "About a thousand or so."
This price is a bit expensive.
However, this hospital consistently charged high fees during this period.
Shi Zhen had been treated at this hospital in his previous life, and they charged him a lot of unnecessary money.
Later, he injured his finger at a construction site and went to a hospital in the provincial capital for treatment. He was shocked by what he saw!
The price of treatment at a major hospital in the provincial capital was shockingly cheap.
Take Guan Baiyu for example. He brought Guan Baiyu here for an IV drip when Guan Baiyu had a fever. If it were in a hospital in the provincial capital, the price wouldn't be even half of what it is here.
These small hospitals are really... I heard that doctors' salaries are tied to the price of the medicines they prescribe.
It wasn't until twenty years later, when the country carried out comprehensive rectification, that such things gradually disappeared.
But it's not realistic to send Zhao Meiyun to the provincial capital for leg treatment right now. What if she gets hurt and her injury gets worse?
Zhao Meiyun looked like she was about to faint from the pain.
What about hospitals closer to Changxi City? Those with similar fees and technology to those here...?
Regardless, the size and scale of the town hospital here is almost the same as the county hospital in his hometown, so this kind of surgery is definitely not a problem.
Shi Zhen completed the admission procedures for Zhao Meiyun and asked the hospital to find her a better doctor.
He ran up and down the stairs, pushing Zhao Meiyun around to get her checked out, and he didn't forget to ask Guan Baiyu to buy some red paper to fold into red envelopes.
According to what he knew, these days, you have to give a red envelope (cash gift) before you can have surgery.
When everyone is giving red envelopes, someone who doesn't is considered an oddball, and to be on the safe side, they have no choice but to give one too.
After Zhao Meiyun was wheeled into the operating room, Shi Dalin and Shi Ting followed Zhao Qiujuan over.
When they arrived, Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu were sitting motionless on chairs outside the operating room.
"Ah Zhen, is Mei Yun alright?" Shi Dalin asked.
"I'll be fine after the surgery." Shi Zhen smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
At this moment, he felt a surge of violent energy washing over his body, giving him a headache.
He longed to find a quiet place to stay, completely still, with Guan Baiyu by his side, of course.
Even if he tries to change, Zhao Meiyun will still go down the same old path...
No, that can't be. Everything changed the moment he was reborn.
Shi Zhen tensed up and looked at Guan Baiyu beside him.
Guan Baiyu looked at Shi Zhen with concern.
Shi Zhen added, "Everything will be alright."
Guan Baiyu had already noticed that Shi Zhen was acting strangely.
Shi Zhen had always been very composed, and his emotions rarely fluctuated, but now... he could clearly sense that something was wrong with Shi Zhen's mood.
Previously, although Shi Zhen was concerned about his family's affairs, he had always maintained a distant relationship with Zhao Meiyun and the others.
Guan Baiyu had privately inquired with Shi Ting, and according to Shi Ting, Shi Zhen kept his distance because Zhao Meiyun and Zhao Qiujuan were women.
But Shi Zhen's current behavior... I didn't expect Shi Zhen to value Zhao Meiyun so much.
Guan Baiyu didn't know how to comfort Shi Zhen, so he could only nod and say, "Yes, everything will be alright."
The operating room door was closed, and Shi Dalin paced back and forth in front of it, making a "pat-pat" sound.
As for Zhao Qiujuan, she kept crying.
After walking for a while, Shi Dalin remembered something and asked, "Where's Dongjuan?"
Zhao Qiujuan then came to her senses: "She went out, and I don't know where she went."
Shi Dalin stopped talking. He fidgeted with his hands in his pockets, but couldn't find anything. He looked like he had nowhere to put his hands. After a while, he found a place to squat down and stopped moving.
The area outside the operating room fell silent.
Zhao Meiyun stayed in the operating room for several hours before being wheeled out.
Shi Dalin stood up, and almost stumbled, probably because he had been squatting for too long. After he regained his balance, he began to awkwardly touch his pockets, wanting to say something but unable to, his dark face full of entanglement.
Shi Zhen asked the doctor, "Doctor, how did the surgery go?"
"The surgery was a success, she just needs to take good care of herself."
The doctor looked relaxed; after all, Zhao Meiyun's injury was nothing to them, who had seen many patients.
But Shi Zhen remained tense.
Upon seeing this, Guan Baiyu grasped Shi Zhen's hand.
Shi Zhen gripped Guan Baiyu's hand tightly, squeezing it until Guan Baiyu's bones ached, then quickly let go.
He smiled at Guan Baiyu and said to him, "Let's go buy some food."
When Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu returned to Anshan Town, it was already late, and now it was dark. None of them had eaten.
There was a cafeteria in the hospital, so Shi Zhen bought some food and brought it upstairs for everyone to eat.
There were four beds in Zhao Meiyun's ward, which was quite crowded. Fortunately, the bed next to hers was empty, so everyone could sit down.
Zhao Meiyun had just undergone surgery, and the doctor told her to wait a few hours before eating, so no one dared to feed her and planned to ask the nurse first.
After Shi Zhen and the others finished eating, Shi Dalin asked Shi Zhen how much money he had paid at the hospital.
Before Shi Zhen could answer, Zhao Qiujuan said, "We paid over a hundred for Mom's check-up earlier, and then another thousand for her hospitalization."
In the past, Shi Dalin would have been terrified to hear this number, since his family's total savings were only a little over two hundred.
However, he had recently made some money, and upon hearing the figure, he felt it was acceptable and breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll go to the bank to withdraw the money later and give it to you."
“No need,” Shi Zhen said. “You should keep some money with you.” Shi Zhen roughly knew how much money Shi Dalin had.
Although Shi Dalin has earned quite a bit these days, he has to feed four people in his family and buy things from time to time... Shi Dalin only has a little over a thousand yuan on him at most.
“I’m still the head of this household, how can I let you pay for anything?” Shi Dalin said. He felt that he was still young and shouldn’t rely entirely on his son.
“Really, no need. There will probably be other expenses to cover later, so you can pay for them, Dad,” Shi Zhen said.
Seeing that Shi Zhen didn't seem reluctant at all, Shi Dalin didn't insist. Zhao Meiyun had injured her leg, and there would definitely be many expenses later on; he was also worried that he wouldn't have enough money on him.
Shi Zhen and Shi Dalin spoke softly, but Zhao Meiyun and Zhao Qiujuan could hear them.
When Zhao Qiujuan learned that Shi Zhen was going to pay for it, she felt extremely embarrassed and blushed. Zhao Meiyun even burst into tears.
At this moment, Zhao Meiyun felt that she had let Shi Zhen down.
Recently, Zhao Dongjuan has been constantly nagging her about Shi Zhen spending money on Guan Baiyu. The more she talks about it, the more uncomfortable she feels.
But today, when she had her accident, Shi Zhen ran around helping her, arranging almost everything and even paying for her medical expenses...
Zhao Meiyun was too embarrassed to even look at Shi Zhen.
In fact, Shi Zhen has always been very generous and has never been a stingy person. If you think about it carefully, Shi Zhen is so generous to Shi Xinghuo and Guan Baiyu, how could he not be good to them?
The fried skewers stall and the rice ball stall were both given to them by Shi Zhen. How much money have they made in just over a month?
Shi Zhen is very decisive and reliable.
She really didn't know what to do before, and neither did her daughter. Luckily, there was Shi Zhen...
"Does it hurt?" Shi Dalin asked Zhao Meiyun when he saw her crying incessantly.
Zhao Meiyun hummed in agreement.
Shi Dalin already felt uncomfortable standing there, and not knowing what he could do, he immediately said, "I'll go ask the nurse, I'll go ask..."
He left after saying that.
Shi Zhen didn't leave. He stayed behind to tell Zhao Meiyun and Zhao Qiujuan about the precautions for Zhao Meiyun's recovery. Fearing they might not remember, Shi Zhen added a few more words.
When Shi Dalin returned with the nurse, Zhao Meiyun said she was in less pain, and Shi Zhen then left with Guan Baiyu.
It was already past nine o'clock at night, and if we didn't leave soon, the hospital would have to kick us out.
As for the caregiver... Shi Dalin and Zhao Qiujuan had agreed that he would stay at the hospital at night to take care of Zhao Meiyun, while Zhao Qiujuan would take care of her during the day. This way, their schedules would be staggered to minimize any disruption to their stall operations.
Making a living outside requires money everywhere, and Zhao Meiyun even broke a bone, so they dared not not earn money.
When Shi Zhen and Guan Baiyu left the hospital, there were hardly any people left on the streets.
The two were walking along the roadside when suddenly the roar of a motorcycle came from behind them.
Shi Zhen instinctively pushed Guan Baiyu to the side of the road. After pushing him, he saw Guan Baiyu stagger and realized that he had been a little too excited.
But he couldn't help but say, "Xiaoyu, you... you must be careful in the future."
Today is the 19th day of the seventh lunar month. Although the moon in the sky is not as bright as it is on the 15th or 16th, it is still very bright.
Guan Baiyu looked at Shi Zhen and felt that there seemed to be light shining in Shi Zhen's eyes, or as if two balls of fire were burning.
The focused gaze fixed on him seemed to see right through him.
His heart started racing for no apparent reason, and he finally said, "Brother, I'll definitely be careful!"
"Hmm." Shi Zhen looked at Guan Baiyu, took a deep breath, and tried to relax.
Zhao Meiyun is doing well now, so she shouldn't be. Guan Baiyu is already in high school, and as long as he's around, he's unlikely to drop out.
Everything will be alright.
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